Untitled
by KingofFoxes
Summary: The Elric Brothers have masterminded their escape from the other side of the Gate, and are finally back in Amestris, but a corruption in the military has reared it's ugly head and civil war is looming. Can the Elrics protect their names, and prevent the


A/N: Hot damn I'm a bad person. Normally I'll stick with an idea 'till it's found its way onto the WWW, but I've got so many half-finished chapters and stories running around in my documents, that I may just have to leave some of them off to a later date. As is, I just finished watching all of FMA on YouTube, so I have a lot of ideas randomly spiraling through my cranium. I'd like to point out that YouTube is on par with God. But House is better than both of them. PEACE!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, or any of the places, names or people associated with Fullmetal Alchemist. I can only make my own theories and present them in a media-friendly way. hangs head in shame

Untitled Prologue: Return 

Brigadier General Roy Mustang stalked the halls of Central City's military headquarters. It had only been a single month since the army from the other side of the gate had invaded Amestris and attempted to destroy the world. Their attack had been beaten back by the combined powers of Mustang himself, and the genius Alchemists known as the Elric brothers. Both Elrics were presumed lost to the other side of the gate, having shut it on themselves in an attempt to close it once and for all. Of late, however, there had been reports of strange lights in the sky, unexplainable lightning flashes, and shadows resembling a huge snake slithering through the sky. Mustang collapsed into his cushiony office chair with a sigh. Most of the reconstruction of Central was complete, and all that wasn't was well underway, but there had been a large number of casualties in the battle, hundreds of civilians and military personnel were missing, presumed dead, hundreds more were dead, and still hundreds more were injured in some way or another. Between all the carnage and bogus reports of civil war in Ishbal and Lior, there wasn't even enough time to relax and slough off paperwork. Things were tough for the ambitious. A quiet knock at his door shook Roy out of his daydream.

"Come in." He said, and the door opened to reveal his trusted friend and guardian, Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye. She saluted, and quickly closed the door behind her. Roy sat up straight and steepled his fingers, looking at her expectantly. "You have something to report, Lieutenant?" He asked, a slight twinkle in his eye. Riza looked at him with her dark brown eyes and gave a little half-smile.

"Yes sir. I investigated the rumors of a giant snake sighting near the village of Resembool in the East, and found something very interesting." She reached behind her back and pulled out a wrapped package. She laid it on the desk in front of him and stepped back. Roy picked it up and examined it. It looked like regular brown paper, the sort that one would find in any clothing store or butcher's shop, used for wrapping things up for delivery. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Hawkeye.

"Is that all, Lieutenant?" He asked, and she nodded slightly and he waved to her dismissively. "Good. You're dismissed. You'll have a week's recovery time, and I don't expect to see you anywhere near the confines of this building within that time, is that clear?" Hawkeye gave him a shocked look, but lowered her head and nodded.

"Yes sir…" She said, and excused herself from his office. As soon as the doors closed, Roy sighed and slumped back into his chair. Another snake sighting, and not a single hint that the Elrics had anything to do with it. He sat down and reached for the paper that Riza had left on his desk, and sighed. '_Maybe I was too hard on her… She tried after all, but I need results. Seems like we're chasing our tails on this one, however._' Roy started unraveling the paper, and suddenly stopped. His eyes widened as a very familiar symbol greeted his vision. On the inside of the paper, carefully drawn with black ink, was the Caduceus: the symbol that had adorned Izumi Curtis' chest, as well as the crimson cloaks of the Elric brothers. He gripped the paper tightly with both hands, and grinned.

"So, they're planning to use the snake. They're alive." He grinned and snapped his fingers at the mound of paperwork sitting on his desk. The helpless papers were engulfed in flames, and Mustang sauntered out of his office, whistling a happy tune. He walked around a corner and right past Jean Havoc, who was hitting on a female clerk who was blushing intensely at his advances. He walked past the scene, smiling and turned into the officer's parking lot. Mustang was about to step into his car, when a very familiar, deep voice sounded behind him.

"Mustang-san!" Roy sweatdropped and turned around slowly.

"Major Armstrong… to what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked, slowly backing towards his unlocked automobile. The Major looked at him, pink stars flying around his head.

"It has too long my friend!" The large man yelled, as he swept up the Brigadier General and enveloped him in a crushing embrace. Tears rolled down the faces of both men, Armstrong's tears of joy, and Mustang's tears of pain, mourning his crushed ribs. Finally, Armstrong released the man, and Mustang fell back against the car, wheezing for breath.

"Major, with all due respect, I am very busy. Was there a reason you came to see me?" Armstrong laughed, and patted Mustang heavily on the shoulder, knocking the Flame Alchemist to his knees.

"Surely you must be aware that the State Alchemist Examinations are occurring next week. I was called back from a mission to assist you in organizing the exams." Mustang raised an eyebrow and Armstrong sighed heavily. "You have completed the written exam, haven't you?" Mustang rested his chin on his fist, and closed his eyes. Armstrong slapped a hand to his forehead and sighed heavily. "You haven't. Well, I suppose I have to give you some motivation." He reached for his shirt collar, but Mustang quickly intervened.

"I must apologize, major, but I received a hint that may lead us to the Elric brothers, and with all due respect, the Exams dropped a rung on my priority list after the safety of those two. You know that they may be the two most talented alchemists that the military has ever seen, after their father of course. But it's not fair to compare anyone to Hohenheim." Armstrong nodded, and the pink stars exploded into life around his head once more.

"Brigadier General, I will take care of the exam preparations myself! You must go, and ensure the safety of those two spirits in the Springtime of their Youth!" Mustang sighed in relief, and stepped into the car.

"I'll return with them, or not at all, Major." Armstrong saluted as the car passed, and Mustang saluted the Major through the driver's side window, before he sped off toward the East. '_Ed, Al, wherever you are, I'll get you back, and I'll make you wish you'd never left._' Mustang grinned, and sped out of Central, heading steadily towards Resembool.

- - - - - - -

There was a flash of light, and the animals that had inhabited the clearing fled, birds flapped from their trees, rabbits sped into their burrows, and deer leapt off in between the trees. A pair of golden blonde people lay on the forest floor, one dressed in a red cloak, the other wearing more traditional wear, with a brown vest over a white shirt, and a deep brown jacket covering everything else. The one in brown and white stirred, and looked around with blurry eyes, eyes that had seen more carnage than they had ever wanted to. He looked at the peaceful countryside, and sighed to himself.

"We did it Al. We're home."

- - - - - - -

A/N: Well, that's my first ever FMA story. On a side note, I've discovered why I like one-shots so much. On a whole, they require a lot of effort for the first week, but after they're posted, I never have to touch them again! Wh00t! KingofFoxes

P.S. Please R&R. It helps me feel better about myself. Feed my ego!


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